Operating a dealership today requires balancing inventory management, margin pressure, evolving manufacturer expectations, and shifting consumer demand. At the same time, dealers must stay compliant with changing tax regulations and maintain strong financial visibility across operations.

KSM works with new and used auto and commercial truck dealerships to strengthen financial performance and uncover opportunities for growth. Our team provides strategic tax planning, audit and assurance, and advisory services designed to help you improve profitability, manage risk, and make informed business decisions.

From optimizing dealership structures and navigating OEM requirements to enhancing reporting and identifying operational efficiencies, we bring industry-specific insight that helps you stay competitive in a rapidly changing market.

Running a buy here – pay here (BHPH) dealership and related finance company can be complex. Add to that the pressure of developing new lender relationships, improving operational efficiency and profitability, maintaining accurate financials, and keeping compliant with changing tax laws, and it can quickly become overwhelming. That’s why our solutions for the BHPH industry focus on simplifying the complex so you can run a more successful dealership.

As the premier tax firm serving the BHPH industry, KSM has decades of experience helping BHPH dealers across the country navigate complex tax issues. As a leader in the industry, we’ve even addressed BHPH topics with the IRS’s national office. Whether related to the typical two-entity BHPH structure, sales and use tax, or reinsurance and warranty programs, our tax strategies help BHPH dealers minimize their tax liability and proactively prepare for the future.

Our understanding of the unique nature of your BHPH business and its associated risks means that reviews and audits are performed with efficiency. We analyze loan portfolio performance and help clients understand their static pool data, enabling them to make better, more informed decisions. Our team can also help you make sure your internal controls are effective and on par with the industry, including those related to your IT environment.

Our consulting services help you streamline your business operations, whether that is through outsourced finance and accounting support or assessing profitability drivers and monitoring key performance indicators.

There are many reasons why dealers expand into vehicle and equipment leasing, including strong return on assets, recurring revenue streams, and favorable sales tax treatment in certain jurisdictions. However, leasing models introduce additional operational, accounting, and tax complexities that require specialized expertise.

KSM is a recognized leader in serving leased-focused dealership models, including lease here – pay here (LHPH) operations. Careful planning is essential to achieve the intended financial outcomes and fully realize the benefits of a leasing strategy – and we help you do exactly that.

Our tax professionals address all aspects of taxation – federal, state and local, and sales tax – to help ensure you remain fully compliant and are maximizing every opportunity. Using our detailed knowledge of specialty finance companies, we can help you design the optimal structure for your leasing business, whether you’re getting ready to open your doors or want to optimize existing operations.

We’ll also help you establish effective internal controls, audit your IT systems, and implement policies to ensure your financial reporting is as accurate as it can be. And if you need help assessing your lease portfolio performance or determining how to improve your LHPH dealership’s profitability, we’ve got you covered.

Accurate, timely financial reporting is critical to understanding your dealership’s performance and making informed decisions. KSM provides audit and assurance services tailored to dealerships, helping ensure your financial statements are reliable, compliant, and aligned with industry standards and OEM reporting requirements. Explore our audit and assurance services.

KSM helps you manage federal, state, and local tax requirements while identifying opportunities to reduce tax liability and improve cash flow.

We take a proactive approach to tax planning, working with you throughout the year to align strategies with your business goals – whether that involves entity structuring, including multi-entity dealership structures, inventory and LIFO considerations, floor plan financing, or managing multistate operations and sales and use tax on vehicle transactions. Learn more about our tax services.

New dealership construction, facility expansions, and showroom or service department remodels often create opportunities for significant tax savings. Cost segregation studies can help you accelerate depreciation, improve cash flow, and unlock tax savings tied to your real estate assets.

KSM helps you identify and reclassify building components to shorten depreciation lives, allowing you to maximize deductions and reinvest savings back into your operations. Explore cost segregation services.

As your dealership grows, maintaining an effective finance and accounting function can become more complex. KSM provides outsourced support tailored to your needs – whether you need day-to-day transaction support or higher-level financial oversight.

We help you streamline processes, improve reporting accuracy, and gain the insights you need to support better decision-making across your dealership. Learn more about outsourced finance and accounting.

Your dealership depends on technology – from dealer management systems (DMS) and CRM platforms to integrated reporting tools – to manage operations and customer relationships. KSM helps you evaluate, implement, and optimize your technology environment to support efficiency, scalability, and growth.

We work with you to align your IT strategy with your business objectives, ensuring your systems are integrated, secure, and positioned to support evolving demands. Explore our IT consulting services.

As your reliance on technology grows, so does your exposure to risk. KSM helps you identify vulnerabilities, strengthen cybersecurity measures, and implement controls to protect your financial and customer data.

We provide risk assessments, control evaluations, and guidance on regulatory considerations, helping you reduce risk and maintain confidence in your IT environment. Learn more about IT risk advisory services.

When you’re exploring a transaction, you need clear, reliable insights. KSM provides buy-side and sell-side advisory services, including financial due diligence, quality-of-earnings analysis, and deal structuring support.

We help you understand the financial and operational implications so you can move forward with clarity and confidence. Explore transaction advisory services.

Understanding what your dealership is worth is essential for planning, transactions, and reporting. KSM provides valuation services tailored to the unique characteristics of dealership operations, including franchise agreements, real estate, multi-entity dealership structures, and blue sky value considerations.

We deliver objective, defensible valuations so you can make informed decisions, whether you’re planning for a transaction, ownership transition, or regulatory requirement. Learn more about valuation services.